RED and the Dead
by BalletandBooks
Summary: Nico gets kicked out of Percy and Annabeth's. Rachel needs a roomie or she'll go insane. Solution: Roomies!
1. Chapter 1

NICO POV

I woke up to a little boy poking my cheek.

"Uncle Nico! Mommy says wake up!" That would be Alexus, or Alex, for short.

Who's he? Not mine, that's for sure. He's Percy and Annabeth's three year old son. He was born when they were 20, much to Athena's dismay. Annabeth still graduated, though, and so did Percy, but still. Athena's exact words were, "I expected more from you, my oldest daughter."

Anyways, here I was, peacefully sleeping on the couch, when I was poked awake.

"Alex, was this really necessary?" I whined playfully, grabbing him and pulling him up with me.

"Mommy said." he told me seriously. Just then, Annabeth walked in. She was wearing a flare dark Jean with a pinstriped button-up white shirt.

"Alex! I told you to wake him up, not cuddle up with him!" she scolded, smiling as she did so. I sat up and put him on the living room floor.

"Sorry. He said mommy says I have to get up." I teased her. Annabeth gave me an annoyed smile.

"Mommy says get up or I won't feed you." she said, scooping up Alex and bringing him to the kitchen. I reluctantly got up, kinda folded my sheets, and made my way to the kitchen.

The apartment was 2 bedroom 1 bathroom basic apartment in Brooklyn, across the bridge to Manhattan, where Annabeth was still redesigning Olympus. The hallways were a dusty blue, decorated (by Annabeth, obviously) with pictures of their wedding, Alex's birth, and his birthdays, trips to the beach.

I entered the kitchen, which was a pastelish yellow with stainless steel appliances and a wood table. Percy was already there pouring himself a bowl of cereal. He was wearing a black button-up and a sea green tie. He had slim dark wash jeans and black converse. Guess what his job was? A teacher of water biolife and Greek mythology (wink wink). Yeah. Who knew Mr. I fail 6th grade would become a 10th grade teacher? I have to say, though, both Athena and Posieson were impressed.

Me, I was wearing black flannel pants and a black v-neck shirt. I walked over to the coffee machine and poured myself a cup. That was my breakfast.

"Nico. Are you gonna eat anything else?" Annabeth asked, worried.

"No, not hungry." I replied, taking a sip of the hot caffeinated goodness.

"Dude, seriously," Percy said, giving me a shove, which made me stumble forward. "This isn't healthy. You look like you'r dad's minions."

That was true. My pants were only a 31x36 and I was 19.

"So?" I asked. I really wasn't in the mood. Across the room, Alex looked at me. He had curly black hair and smart grey eyes.

"You should eat more cereal." I almost spit up my coffee.

"Where did you hear that?" I asked on the verge of insanity. That was one of the reasons I left the Underworld. Demeter's incessant nagging. Percy and Annabeth watched me closely, protecting their son from whatever I'd do.

"Grammy Demeter said I should tell you." he said, big eyes not blinking.

"That little..." I muttered, and I stalked off to the bathroom, grabbing a drachama as I passed the drachama jar.

"Isis, goddess of the rainbow, show me lady Demeter. " I said and put the drachama in the shower and it got absorbed into the floor.

Demeter appeared and smiled meanly when she saw me.

"Hello. How may I help you?" she smirked.

"Lady Demeter! How could you poison Alex into believing in cereal!"

"I'm sorry, but it is true. Look how thin you are." she pointed the waistband on my pants. Even though they were an elastic band, they were sagging, and I had to pull them up every few minutes.

Percy rushed in and saw the infuriated me and Demeter through the IM.

"Lady Demeter, I am so sorry, please don't kill me... Ummm... Bye." he waved his hand through the mist.

"Nico, sit." he said, pointing to the toilet, using the tone he used to discipline Alex. Dutifully, I sat.

"You haven't been yourself lately. What's going on?" he asked. I looked away.

"Nothing." I responded.

"Nothing Kronos' ass! What do you mean?" he shoved me and I nearly fell off the toilet. "See?"

Percy sighed, and sat down on the tile across from me. "Listen, Nico. Annabeth and I were talking, and, well, we think it's time you get an apartment. Hey, and I know someone who's been looking for a roomie! You'll get along!" Percy gave me a weak smile.

I got up, and walked into Alex's room, put on some jeans, and stuffed my clothes and toothbrush into my backpack. I tied my vans and stormed out of his room.

I walked into the kitchen and saw Annabeth, who looked at me sympathetically. Percy was there too.

"Where's the address?" I growled. Alex looked scared. I gave him a quick smile, then turned back to Percy.

"Chardone Apartments, room 300." With that, I grabbed my aviator's jacket, opened the door and stormed out. I went down the elevator. As I left the building, I went in search  
>for a secluded shadow.<p>

RACHEL POV

Hey. So I was in my studio, working on my new piece, when I got an IM from Annabeth. Normally, she just calls, but this seemed to be urgent. Percy was pacing in the background, and Annabeth's hair was falling out of the messy bun.

"Hey Rachel!" She said, falsely cheerful.

"Hey Annabeth, what's up?" I asked suspicious.

"So… Do you remember when you told me you were looking for a roomie?" She said, running a hand through her (now) messed up hair.

"Yeah, why? Did you already find one?" I asked, now more excited than suspicious.

"Umm… yeah, and you might already know who it is."

"Oh! Is it someone form camp?"

"Uh… you could say that"

"Cool! Who is it?"

"It's a… well… Surprise?"

"Sweet! I love surprises!"

"Good."

"When will she be getting here?"

"She? Umm… Let's say right about now." She swung her hand through the IM, cutting it off.

"What?"

As I said that, I heard a PLONK in the darkest corner on my studio. I heard a groan too. I picked up a dagger Apollo had given me for protection and started towards the corner. It was a fairly large room with huge windows, so I could make out the silhouette of whoever it was.

"Get… get back." I stuttered. "I… I have a knife."

"What… what the Hades?" A voice said. It was very familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Rachel, is this your apartment?" A dusty looking Nico DiAngelo tumbled out of the shadows.

"Nico?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah?" He replied cockily, smiling while brushing himself off.

"Why are you here?" I walked forward and poked him in the chest as I said so.

"Sorry. I must have shadowed to the wrong apartment. Percy and Annabeth kicked me out, and he said he knew a guy who needed a roomie. I'll be going now." As he made a move to step through the shadows again, I grabbed his arm.

"Wait a sec. Annabeth told me she found me a roomie. I guess you're in the right place." He looked at me like I was crazy.

"Are you kidding me? This has to be a practical joke." He laughed. "Me, living with you? It's like suicide!"

I gave him a murderous glance. "Oh really? What about it is so suicidal?"

"Well," he began, "You're a girl. That means you wear bras and panties. On laundry days, that'll be nasty. Second, you get all hormonal and moody. Third, you're the virgin Oracle of Delfi. That's no fun to me."

I walked up closer to him. "Well, if I'm that bad, I dare you to live with me for a year without visiting your father," He opened his mouth to protest but I covered it, "as a Spirit."

"Well, Miss Dare," he said after removing my hand, "It appears we have a deal."

"Fine." I stuck out my hand, then retracted it. I then spit on my hand and stuck it back out.

"Fine." He spit on his hand, then we shook on it.

"So… When do you move your stuff in?" I asked, walking over to my easel and wiping my hand on a towel.

"It's all in here." He said pointing to his backpack after wiping his hands on his jeans.

"That's it?" I asked in disbelief. All he had was a regular sized school backpack.

"Yeah. My books and stuff are all at school." Right. He was still in college, NYU, studying to be a forensic pathologist, someone who investigates causes of people's random deaths. Or, he could ask them himself.

Anyways, I showed him down the hall and to the room I had prepared for my new roomie. (Who I had assumed would be a girl.) It was painted green and had white wrought iron furniture. A vanity was on the left side and the bed was on the right, with a big window. Across from the wall with the window was a closet with lots of hangers.

Nico just about died, I think. He looked at me pleadingly, and I smiled at him. (kinda.)

"Yes, you can redecorate, but only on the inside."

"Thank you. Oh yeah. When's rent due?" He said putting his backpack on the floor and sitting on the bed.

"Let's say beginning of the month?" I said, not really sure. "300 dollars, OK?"

"Sure." Nico said, and he took off his shoes and laid down.

"What are you doing?" I asked as he closed his eyes.

"Sleeping, why?" he responded, opening one eye.

"It's a friggin Sunday morning, you should be studying or exercising or going to church or anything!" I exclaimed.

Nico's eyebrow rose slightly as I mentioned church, but waited till I was done to speak.

"Well, since it is Sunday, as you so helpfully pointed out, I will take advantage of the opportunity of having a bed instead of a couch and I will sleep." He closed his eyes and rolled so he had his back towards me.

"Demon Spawn" I muttered, and closed his door. "No 'thanks Rachel' or 'you're so nice, Rachel' or 'let's bond over coffee and donuts.'" Almost a second later, I heard a creak and turned back to see Nico in the frame of his door, head peeping out.

"I just want to say thanks, Rach." I smiled, and was about to say something when he said, "I hope at least one of us survives this."

Thanks. Way to ruin the moment.


	2. Chapter 2

OUTLINE OF THE APARTMENT!

h t t p : / / b a l l e t a n d b o o k s . d e v i a n t a r t . c o m / a r t / F A N F I C - H E L P - R E D - s - A p a r t m e n t - 2 3 1 3 2 4 8 4 6

NICO POV

I woke up at around 1:00 on Sunday and was kinda hungry (for some coffee). I opened the door of my overly cheerful room and walked down the hallway to try and find the kitchen. As it turns out, it was at the end of the hall. I walked in and saw that it was a big modern-looking kitchen with lime walls and stainless steel appliances. I searched the pristine white countertops for a coffee maker, and found none.

"RACHEL?" I called. She didn't hear me.

"RACHEL?" I called again. Ugh. I felt too lazy and groggy to get up, so I just sat there for a second. Suddenly, something on the wall caught my attention.

'Intercom for Apt. 300' I read after a couple minutes of figuring it out. Hmm. After some later deciphering, I read the hastily scrawled in labels Rachel had given the buttons.

I decided to press the first one, which said, 'RED's Studio.'

I pressed, and at first, I heard some static. Then, I spoke.

"Hey RED?" I said straight into the mike. I heard a clatter and a string of curse words.

"NICO?" She shrieked. "What could POSSIBLY be so important?"

"Well," I said meekly, "I can't find the coffee maker. Or the coffee."

"Oh. I don't have one." She said plainly.

"No, seriously. Where is it?" I asked, assuming she was joking.

"I am serious. I don't have one." She said and probably picked up the brush again.

"Rachel, you've GOT to be kidding me." I said, and she just laughed.

"Coffee is seriously addictive, and I don't wanna waste money buying it." She said, strangely sounding like a child of Athena.

"But Rachel!" I pleaded.

"Nico, its lunchtime. Why don't you eat a sandwich?" She asked, and I groaned. I escape one problem, and it comes back to me.

"I don't like sandwiches." I responded.

"How about some salad?" She offered.

"I don't like salad." I told her. I heard some fuzz on the intercom, and then saw Rachel, paint smear on her face, bound into the kitchen.

"Do you like any food?" she demanded, and I smiled.

"I like coffee. I've been living on it for about two years now."

When I first left the Underworld, I had about 200 dollars and nowhere to go. The first thing I did was buy a cup of coffee at McDonalds, along with a burger. I stayed in alleys because the winter chill hadn't set in yet. Not like the cold bothered me anyways. After a while, I started to run out, and I only had enough for the coffee if I didn't want to become obese. Then, I had $1 left. It was winter now. It was cold. I was hungry. I was definitely dirty.

_3__rd__ Person_

_A tall boy sat in an alley. His hands were chapped and paler than usual. His cheeks were red, but his skin, instead of being covered by gloves, a hat, a scarf, or even a snow jacket, was left in a slightly small aviator's jacket, collar popped. It was, though, turning slightly gray, much like a corpse, not that he hadn't been called Corpse Breath before. _

_Nico DiAngelo wasn't about to beg. Not when he sat here the son of Hades, the god of precious metals. He had too much pride. Being in his current situation, though, he was beginning to rethink his options. At the present, he was still too cold to think. Too cold. _

_He stood; thinking that it would get his blood flowing, warm him up. He passed a man in a Santa suit, ringing a bell. _

"_Donations! Donations to the Salvation Army!" He called. People in woolen coats passed, some men, some women, dropping coins into his big red bucket. Next to the bucket, there was a countdown. _

'_Two days to Christmas Eve' it read. Hmm. Three days till he celebrated with his 'Greek' cousins. Not that he had any others. _

"_Son, would you care to donate to the Salvation Army?" He asked as Nico walked past. Nico gave the man a weak smile. _

"_Sorry, sir, I would, but I think I need to be saved right now." The Santa looked at Nico sympathetically and patted his cheek.. _

"_Young Demigod," he said, and Nico stepped away. His hand flew to his sword instinctively. "Be on watch tonight." _

_Quickly, Nico stepped away from the Santa's watchful eye and into the crowd. _

_Hades frowned. Alecto had warned his son, but from just the sight, he feared he wouldn't be strong enough to face the beast. Hades really didn't want Alecto to warn his son. He wanted to be able to scoop up his broken body and bring him to the Underworld. He would be back home. The warning, though, had been Persephone's idea. Over the years, she had secretly warmed to Hades, and knew if that the Chimera went out of control, his son would be in the Underworld as a spirit in Elysium, not the palace. It would kill Hades. Nico at least deserved an advanced warning. _

_Nico walked past the people, many parting for him, as if they didn't want to touch him. _

_He passed a McDonalds, then reached for his pocket. Only a dollar. He wasn't that hungry. He could wait another day. _

_Nico walked into an alley, again. The shadows soothed him, unlike the feelings of dread and darkness they gave most people. Shadows welcomed him. _

_The Chimera appeared, as if out of nowhere. It had been planted not to kill Nico, but to (strangely) assist Hades in his plan. _

_Nico's hand flew to his ring and he pulled it off. His black Stygian Iron sword appeared and he began to advance towards the beast. He searched for a weak spot on its body and decided to aim for the neck._

_After shielding himself from lots of fire and spit, he finally stabbed it in the neck. _

_Stumbling, exhausted, and nauseous, Nico put his ring back on and limped to a dark corner. He combed his pockets for that last square of ambrosia and all he found was his dollar. _

_He staggered into the shadow into the first place he thought of: Percy and Annabeth's. _

_Percy Jackson and his wife were finally enjoying a night of sleep without interruptions. They were both sleeping soundly, on alert, though, (what would a demigod be not on alert?) when a bump awoke them both. Annabeth rushed to Alexus, or Alex, her son's room, and Percy grabbed Riptide. Annabeth and Percy rushed into the small hallway, him with a sword, her with a baby, now awake, and proceeded into the source of the noise: the kitchen. _

_Percy flicked on the lights and went in with Annabeth and his son right behind him. _

_He heard a groan and saw a body crumpled in the corner. He inched closer and emitted a gasp of recognition. _

"_Holy Sh" he was about to say when he was cut off by Annabeth adding "Zeus" to the end of his sentence._

"_Nico?" He asked. Nico nodded and proceeded into grabbing the nearest trashcan and spewing the liquid contents of his stomach. _

"_Oh gods…" Annabeth whispered, and held Alex the other way. _

"_Nico, are you ok? You look like death." Percy said, and Nico shook his head weakly, head still in the trashcan, gagging. _

"_As if I haven't heard that before." _

"_Annabeth, can you grab the Ambrosia and Nectar?" Percy said urgently and Annabeth grabbed it. _

_Nico reached for it and took a small bite of the ambrosia and a tiny sip of nectar, not wanting to upset his stomach again. _

_After that, he promptly passed out. For three days. _

_When he woke up, he walked into the living room to find lots of former CHB counselors staring at him. _

_Thalia, still decked out in her hunter's uniform, went over to him, glass of champagne in hand. _

"_Merry Christmas Death Breath." _


	3. Chapter 3

"Nico! Hurry up! I'm cold!" Rachel whined, standing outside of her apartment. She had finally given in and decided to go with Nico to get a cup of coffee. She would, though, be forcing him to eat something.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." He replied, and walked faster over to her. He was happy that she was getting him coffee, his body was already experiencing withdrawal from it. He had a headache and was tired, despite his nap.

The city's noise didn't make it any better. The horns, tires, and people made enough noise that he could play his music at top volume and no one would hear him. The smell of gas was strong, and mixed in were perfumes, colognes, and various stages of BO.

"Nico, hurry up or you won't be getting any!" Rachel yelled, and several pedestrians looked at her. She realized what she had said and how it was interpreted and blushed.

"I meant coffee, not… that." She explained, embarrassed, to a passerby, who nodded warily.

Nico suddenly appeared, and when he saw the stares from people, laughed. "Already disturbing the public?" He said with a smirk, which earned him a slap on the arm.

They walked along, almost in silence, and didn't look at each other until they reached the nearest Starbucks.

"After you, milady." Nico said, gallantly opening the door.

"Whatever, Lancelot," Rachel snorted, and stepped past him into the warm coffee shop. He followed, and got behind her in line.

"Coffee's on me today. What do you want?" She asked him, rubbing her hands together.

"Small decaf coffee, please Ms. Dare." Nico said smiling. They often teased each other like this at camp.

"Sure thing, Mr. DiAngelo." She smiled back at him and took out her wallet.

Nico looked over her head and out the door. He was that tall, yes, he could look over her. Snow was beginning to fall outside, and people began to take cover in bus stops.

Rachel was telling the bored cashier their orders and he walked off to find a table. He sat, mesmerized, until Rachel came over and sat in front of him, placing a white cup (thing) and a banana.

"Umm… What's with the banana?" He asked, shoving the offending fruit towards Rachel, who was eating a muffin and a frappuccino.

"It's for you." She said nonchalantly, pushing it back towards him.

"Uh… I don't like bananas."

"You should. What do you like? Besides coffee."

"I don't really like food. I like milkshakes. I like Maraschino Cherries."

Rachel facepalmed.

"What? They're good!"

"No, they're pure sugar."

Rachel sighed.

"Eat the banana Nico." She told him, and as she unpeeled it, stuffed it in his mouth as he opened it to take a sip.

He chewed, carefully, as if he had to think about it. He swallowed and took another sip of his coffee. Seconds later, his stomach lurched and he ran out the door. Rachel stood so she could see out the window and did, just in time for him to puke in the nearest trashcan.

Yeah, thought Nico, I don't like bananas.

The Magical Line!

"Score!" Hades shouted, his voice rumbling through the Underworld. He was pleased in the sorcery of his fellow god(ess) Hecate.

He had asked her to curse his son into coming back by not allowing him to eat solid foods unless they were in the Underworld.

As he was thinking of her, she popped into the throne room.

"Ah, Hecate. I was just thinking of you." He told her, and stood from his throne.

"Yes, Lord Hades, I am here to tell you something important." She began to say something else, but Hades waved his hand in front of her, as if to silence her.

"Now wait a minute, Hecate. You must at least let me get you something to eat. Don't worry, it's only Ambrosia and Nectar. You won't be here for eternity." Hecate smiled and took a seat with Hades at a round table while skeleton servants brought squares of Ambrosia and a jug of Nectar.

"Now, as I was saying. I still do have the charm from two years ago on your son, although the loophole seems to be Maraschino Cherries. His body seems to have somewhat adapted to liquids, though I don't know how long it will take for him to become too weak to stand on his own." Hecate looked at Hades with wise eyes and concern. "I think the charm should be lifted gradually, because I don't want him to die, seeing that the fates would hound me for at least a century about it."

Hades thought about it. His plan would be foiled, but his son still tortured enough to maybe come and visit him. Hopefully Hecate was right. Maybe he did go a little over board on the torture side of it.

La la la la line break!

Rachel ran out of the coffee shop, abandoning their food, to where Nico was currently hurling his guts out and apparently bothering people who passed by, judging by the looks on their faces.

"Nico, are you ok?" Rachel asked, putting her hand on his back.

"I told you." Nico coughed, still gagging. "I don't like bananas."

"Listen." Rachel said, as he stood up, wiping his mouth. She grabbed his waist as he teetered, and began leading him back home. "Let's get you back home, ok?" He nodded and closed his eyes.

He looked like a drunken man, the way he was staggering and Rachel having to hold him up. The reason for the effect it was having on him is that the curse caused him to lose more fluids than he should have, and it made him quite nauseous and dizzy.

"Oh, Nico." Said Rachel, suddenly noticing the stares they were receiving, and counting all the strange looks they had been given all day. "What am I gonna do with you?"

**Sorry. Nico's sick often, I guess. Ugh. I'm getting a little lost on this one. Any Ideas? **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey! I don't want to sound pushy… but if you read, would you mind reviewing… It'll make me feel better!**

"Hey Nico?" Rachel said walking into Nico's room where he lay on his bed.

"Yeah?" He moaned. He still felt pretty crappy from the episode an hour earlier.

"Guess what I got you?" She cooed, as if she was talking to a small child.

"What?" He said, the pillow over his head slightly muffling his words.

"Maraschino Cherries!" She exclaimed, and Nico removed the pillow from his head, eyes still closed, and held out his hand.

"Hand them to me." He commanded, and with a roll of the eyes (Rachel), He had in his hands jar of cherries and a fork in his hand. In 30 seconds, though, he had popped the top off and his fork had already gone from the jar to his mouth.

"Mmmgh!" he moaned in appreciation of the delicious candied cherries.

"Now that you're happily in my control, I am going to talk to you about living here, and what were gonna do about your situation." Rachel said, and with a smile, grabbed the cherry jar out of Nico's hand.

"Aww!" Nico whined/pleaded in a puppy voice.

"First of all, you have to tell me if you're gonna have friends who are NOT demigods over so I can tell Apollo not to come. Speaking of which, he is gonna check you out to make sure you're OK. About having friends over, if you have a 'special friend', not in my house. OK?" She said, putting finger quotes around 'special friend.

"Fine. But I am keeping my clothes on around Apollo. He creeps me out." Nico huffed, sitting up and crossing his arms, coming to resemble a small child.

"Fine," Rachel agreed, "but you promise to all the other rules?" She asked, and they shook on it.

**Later that evening:**

Nico was sitting in his still girly room, frantically scribbling (or so it seemed) on a piece of lined paper.

Rachel had been sitting in front of her canvas when from behind her came a burst of sudden sunshine.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't my favorite oracle?" Apollo chirped, walking forward and giving Rachel, who had stood up, a big hug.

"Hey Apollo! How it be?" She said jokingly, and he laughed.

"Pretty good, my gingery friend. How you doin'?" He said back, bouncing one of her still frizzy ringlets.

"I'm doing pretty good, but my roomie? Not so much." She frowned, and Apollo mirrored her.

"No?" He asked. "I am the god of healing… can I help?" Rachel beamed.

"I was hoping you'd ask. He's right in here." Rachel said, making her way to the door, but Apollo put an arm out to stop her.

"A boy, Rachel?" He asked, looking down at her quizzically. She gave him a knowing sort of smile.

"You know him, Apollo, and once you see him, you'll realize that he's no threat to your poor, innocent Oracle's virginity." She told him with false sincerity.

Apollo humphed and let Rachel pass, content with following her through the large studio into the hallway, which led into Nico's room.

The door creaked open, and Apollo let a gasp of surprise.

"Nico diAngelo?" He gaped.

"What the- Lord Apollo?" Nico shouted, and quickly stood to kneel, which scattered his notes everywhere.

"Shoot, shoot, shoot!" He mumbled, collecting his papers all together.

Apollo turned to Rachel.

"Your roomie is Nico diAngelo?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, why?" Rachel asked, one eyebrow rising suspiciously.

"You, my sunny Oracle, let the dark, meanie son of Hades be your roomie? Why not Miranda Gardiner?"

Rachel sighed. "I did it as a favor to Annabeth and Percy. He needed a place, they needed space, so he kinda shadow traveled into my house. No biggie?"

Apollo huffed, and looked at Nico who was getting his papers in a stack and walking over.

"What seems to be the problem with your roomie?" Apollo asked Rachel.

"He can't seem to eat any solid food besides Maraschino Cherries." She said. "I tried feeding him a banana, but he puked it up."

Apollo looked him over.

"Nico. Come here, please." He commanded, and Nico rushed over.

"Yes, Lord Apollo." He said, and bowed his head.

"I have a haiku for you." He said proudly, and the two young adults groaned.

"What is wrong with you/I will fix all your problems/please take off your clothes." Apollo announced, and he snapped his fingers and in his hand appeared a paper cover-up, similar to what they have at doctor's offices.

"No!" Nico shouted, pulling his hoodie around him. "Rachel said the clothes would stay on!"

Apollo sighed. "Fine. Lay on the bed, and I'll figure out what's up with your stomach."

Nico obeyed, and Apollo held his hand about 6 inches over Nico's body. He ran it over a few times, and on the 4th try, his hand turned sparkly blue.

"Holy Zeus!" He exclaimed. "I've got it!" Apollo shouted gleefully and pranced around the room as the blue on his hand wore off.

"Hecate has cursed you!"

"WHAT?" Nico and Rachel shouted simultaneously.

"I know! Isn't that something." Apollo said, suddenly going back to serious mood.

"Yeah, but what do I do to lift it?" Nico asked, folding his hands together and putting his elbows on his knees, sitting on the edge of the bed, feet on the floor.

"Oh, don't worry about that, it's wearing off!" He said, happy again.

'Man,' thought Rachel, 'Apollo sure is bi-polar!'

"Ok, Rachel, I'll be back tomorrow around the same time." She smiled. "And Nico," he said, serious again, "I'd suggest getting back on that paper!" He winked, and in a flash, along with a hint of JBeiebs, he was out.

**Ooh! Lines!**

Let's compare mornings.

Rachel: "I woke up at ten and felt nice and refreshed. I lay in bed for 30 minutes before I got up and went to the kitchen where I had some cereal and soy milk, vanilla, in case you were curious. I took a long, hot shower, and dressed in my scruffy boyfriend jeans and NYU sweatshirt. I went to my studio and painted. Ahh. What a pleasant morning!"

Nico: "I woke up at 7 and I was late, so I took a 3 minute cold shower to wake myself up. After I dressed in whatever I was wearing yesterday, I grabbed my bag and shadow traveled to the subway, where I caught the 7:30 train to West and 4th St. I sprinted to my class, which had the meanest teacher. Overall, not a pleasant morning."

Rachel: "After I painted for a while, I was sorta hungry, so I grabbed a green tea and drank it with a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter. I put in my iPod and began to listen to that while I painted, but only after I brushed my teeth."

Nico: "After I wormed my way out of getting points taken off for being late, I had about half an hour. I went to a coffee shop my friend Rhonda Stevenson owns, so she treated me to one while I did the rest of my homework. I saw the time, and decided I should get going, so I gave her a quick hug before running again to get to my next class on time."

**Around 4 in the afternoon: **

Nico shadow traveled from a shady tree on campus into his room in Rachel's apartment.

"Rachel?" he called, and when no one answered, he walked into her studio. "Rachel!" he shouted, seeing her. She seemed not to hear him though, due to the excessively loud music blasting directly into her ears.

Nico went up behind her as she was singing along and tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to spook and send a brush with neon green paint across the canvas.

"Nico?" She shouted, pulling out her ear buds and letting them dangle to the floor. "Look what you made me do!"

"Sorry, I just thought you might like to know I was here." He said sheepishly, and she laughed.

"Don't worry about it… I actually like it better that way."

"Good. I'll be doing homework if you need me. Bye." He said, and slipped out of the room.

"Ha. He still has homework!" She laughed to herself, and reminisced back to when she herself had to do the very same.


	5. Chapter 5

3rd Person POV (HADES+HECATE)

Hades sat in his throne overlooking Hecate and her cauldron. Today, she was a young woman, looking 24 or 25. Her purple cloak covered her from head to toe except for her ivory face, which was partially covered with long brown bangs. Her eyes, though, were a startling purple, but when she looked up at Hades, he seemed bored, or even asleep, as his eyes were closed.

"Hades?" she said, standing and removing her hood, shaking her hair out. He didn't answer, so she lifted her hand and muttered an incantation, which electrocuted him, causing him to wake up.

"Meh! What just happened?" He jerked up, and Hecate smirked.

"You deserved it. I'm trying to save your son, your only heir, and you fall asleep." She said, walking over and stroking his equally pale face before shocking him again. As he nursed his cheek, she walked back over to her cauldron and sat down. Hades watched her wave her hands over the bubbling liquid and throw her head back, closing his eyes.

"What will this do, exactly, I mean." He said, taking his hand off his face and leaning on his throne like if he was a pompous prince.

"Well, he'll have it given to him by Apollo, and slowly, it will remove the curse I put upon him. Is that simple enough to understand?" She spoke to the god of the Underworld as if he was a small child. He scowled at her and he turned away.

"But why not lift the curse instantly?" He asked her. She laughed at him and put down her stirring spoon, or at least it looked like a spoon.

"You fool," she cackled to Hades' surprise, who wasn't expecting the vile laughter from such an innocent face. "You do want to see him suffer, no?"

Hades stroked his chin and pursed his lips in concentration.

"I guess, that would be fun to watch."

Don't get him wrong, though. Hades did love his son very, very much. So much, in fact, he didn't realize how much he was hurting him by wanting him close. See, this happened to all of Hades' mortal children. He actually drove them to insanity.

"Well, let's begin, then."

3rd Person POV (NICO+RACHEL)

"Nico? Nico? Wake up! There's someone here to see you!" Rachel whispered in Nico's ear as he lay sleeping on the kitchen table, surrounded by textbooks in English and notes in a strange mix of Greek and Italian.

"Bianca, no." He moaned, waving his hand in the air blindly, still asleep. Rachel laughed and looked at the other person in the kitchen, who covered his mouth, giggling as well.

Rachel ran to the fridge and looked around for the smelliest item in there. She found an old jug of milk in the back and sniffed it. It smelled like the worst stinky cheese smell in the whole world, sour and bitter.

She sneaked over to him and took the lid off and placed it next to his face, which was pressed on the glass table.

He shot up like a bullet, almost falling out of his chair.

"_Skata!_" He cursed. "Rach, what the Hades was that?" He looked up at her and rubbed his temples, squinting. "And what time is it?" He asked.

"Oh. It's about 3… 25, I think." She said, pulling the chair and taking the seat next to him.

"Why do I have to be up now? I was up studying until gods know when, and now I can't even sleep probably an hour?" He put his head on the table and Rachel pulled him right back up by the hood on his sweatshirt. He was wearing that and the same old sweatpants he usually wore.

"Nico, someone's here to see you!" She said. Nico sighed, eyes closed.

"Who could be sooo important that I had to wake up this early to see him?" Apollo gasped, and Nico's eyes sprung open in surprise.

"That would be me, the awesomest person in the room!" He squealed, much like Tamaki Suoh from Ouran High School Host Club. "Now, I'm gonna forgive you because you didn't know that I was gonna be here, but I have a present for you!"

Nico stood up and grabbed the chair for support, still not fully awake.

"Yes?"

"It's this! You drink a table spoon each day, OK? Every time you drink it, you will get a little better!" Nico nodded, understanding the purpose of the liquid in the bottle.

"Oh yeah, your daddy says hello!" He exploded in a burst of light, and left Nico and Rachel in a daze.

"Whoa." Rachel said, a smear of soot on her face, and clothes slightly charred. She looked over and saw Nico in a similar condition; only his hair had a tiny sparks in it, threatening to light his hair aflame.

He looked and saw Rachel staring at him, and gave her a half smile. "Nice poof-out, huh?"

**Lines are fun to play with…**

Jonah Cole was an ordinary man. He taught an ordinary class in an ordinary university. He didn't often have a student walk into his biology class with slightly singed hair.

It did, though, happen. Nico diAngelo, he had observed, was a strange kid. Most students who walked through the doors of his lecture hall were clean, timely, and organized. Most were smart and responsible. He, though, didn't seem to be that kind of kid.

On the first day of classes, most students arrived early. They arrived in their best clothes, wide eyed and excited. Nico diAngelo, though, arrived with 30 seconds to spare, decked out in all black except for the slight yellow shimmer that seemed to be on him. He seemed out of breath and tired, as if he'd just run a marathon. Then he saw the ring, and the eyes on it just freaked him out, so he looked away.

Seeing Mr. Cole's judgmental face, Nico slunk into the back of the room and took a notebook out of his messenger bag.

Around him, students tittered with gossip and judgement, first in his tardiness, then his clothes, then his appearance. And so, when Nico came in with singed hair, Mr. Cole had nothing to say, except for a slight shaking of the head in disapproval.

"Nico?" He said, catching him as he was about to walk through the door at the end of class. "Why is your hair singed?"

Nico shifted, and tugged on the strap to his bag. "It's nothing." He said, and turned again before Mr. Cole reached for his shoulder.

"Seriously, tell me, or I'll assume that you committed a crime and I'll have the police arrest you." Nico's hand clenched, but he kept a cool face.

"Well, if you're that concerned about my wellbeing, my roommate and my cousin accidentally caught my hair on fire while… lighting a candle, I think. Yeah, it was a candle." He replied, almost reassuring himself that it happened.

"Hmm, and you're sure of this. Something about your story doesn't make sense. Should I call your roommate to double check?" Mr. Cole asked, looking Nico in the eyes. They were scary too, he thought. Nico put a hand to his head, and massaged his temples with his thumb and middle finger.

"If you really want to," Nico said, still not looking up, "but she might not be there."

Mr. Cole smiled. "And who might she be?" He sneered, expecting a slut or an emo girl with a horrible name she'd given herself, like Emily Sorrow Bleedingwrists.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare, have you heard of her?" Nico smiled creepily, his eyes reaching the entrance to insanity. Now keep in mind, dear readers, Nico isn't really going insane, it's a trait he's inherited from his father (the ability to look insane), but Mr. Cole doesn't seem to know that.

Mr. Cole gulped. Mr. Dare had donated a lot to the school, and he would be upset if his daughter complained of the teachers of the school treating her boyfriend (?) badly. Now, Mr. Cole also didn't know that Rachel was the virgin oracle of Apollo, but that could wait for another day.

"Ok, then. See you tomorrow in class." Mr. Cole squeaked, pushing Nico under the doorframe and into the hallway. Nico waved over his shoulder as he walked away, silently laughing.

"What fools these mortals be…" He quoted, and walked into a shadow.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry, I've had writers block… Grr…**

After Nico's unfortunate meeting with his professor, he walked across campus in the cold to his favorite store, Rhonda's Café.

"Hey Rhonda." He said, slumping into the bar stool.

"Well Hi'ya Nico! How are you?" She said, shutting off the coffee grinder and coming over to talk. She smiled at him, and saw the dark shadows under his eyes that she hadn't seen in a while

Rhonda Stevenson was an African-American woman about 50 years old. She was slightly overweight and had hair like Whoopie's.

"Meh. Could be worse." He put his head down on the counter.

"How 'bout a little coffee to cheer you up?" She said, bringing over a mug. Now, you may be asking how this friendship was formed…

"_Hey, you there." Rhonda Stevenson was looking out her café one wintry day. It was closed because there was almost no one there. She was enjoying the snow coming down when she saw a young man wearing no other protection than a beat up aviator's jacket. _

_When he heard her call, he jumped and put a hand to his pocket. _

"_Yeah, you there. Come in for some coffee, its cold outside!" _

_He looked around before jogging over to the shop._

"_Listen here. You should be wearing a hat and scarf. Hasn't your mother told you that?" She chided, inviting him in and closing the shop door with a tinkle from the bells in the doorframe. _

"_Hasn't since I was 6." He said, and instantly, her heart went out to him. _

"_Aww honey, take this. French roast, it'll do you good."_

_He took a seat at the bar stool and put his head in his hands. _

_Rhonda came over to him with a steaming mug of hot coffee. _

"_Young man, I can't serve you if I don't know your name!" _

"_Nico diAngelo." He looked at her, and she saw his face for the first time up close, as his hair had been in his eyes. _

_His face was thin, and his fingers long and bony. _

"_Now, Mr. diAngelo, I'm gonna ask you to take off the jacket, if you don't mind." She asked, and he reluctantly removed it and put it on the chair next to him. _

_Rhonda saw that the rest of his body matched his thin face. _

"_Nico, honey, what's your story?" She said, tugging at his tee-shirt, which hung loosely around his body. _

_Nico then gave her the demigod-proof version of the story. _

_His mother died when he was six, his father was absent and sent him and his sister to military school until he was 10 when his sister died in a car crash. He flitted between foster homes and his father's house until he was 17 when he ran away until he came to stay at his cousin and his wife's house._

"_You come to me when you need anything, I promise." She said, and he gave her a small smile. _

"_First thing, you need a hat." Seeing his all-black attire, she chose a black beanie from her 'souvenir' shop. _

"_Here. Free advertising." She said, shoving it on his head._

_Since then, he'd been the son she'd never had. _

"Hey Rhonda?" Nico said, looking up.

"Yeah?" She said, not moving from where she had gone to polish the machines.

"Would you consider hiring someone?" He asked, stirring his coffee in 'his' mug. Ever since he'd been going to Rhonda's, the black puppy mug had been his.

"Depends… Nico, are you asking for a job?" She asked coming over to him. For 20 years, she'd run the shop herself.

"Yeah, and I feel bad asking, but my roommate is making me pay, so I need the money, and I'm not asking my dad for it."

She smiled at him, and ruffled his hair.

"Nico, I would, but you're kinda… scary looking. I don't mind, but if you keep giving people the glare you're giving me right now, you won't be making anything on tips." She chided, patting his cheek.

"Sorry, Rhonda. It's an involuntary reflex." He said, and ran his hands through his hair to get it off his face.

"Wait! If I pull back your hair, it doesn't look too bad!"

She opened the discreet door in the bar and went behind him. She grabbed his hair and put it in a ponytail.

"There. That's good. Go get an apron."

**Nico's day at work.**

Nico: Hi. May I take your order?  
>Customer: Uh… No? You're a freak.<p>

Nico: Hi, may I take your order?

Customer: Sure… I want… Uh… Well…

Nico: Get on with it!

Customer: Well then! (walks away)

Nico: Hi, may I help you?

Customer (little girl): Mister, you're scary.

Nico: Yes, yes I am. (silence) Boo!

Customer: MOMMY!

**Line**

"Hey Nico!" Rachel jumped on his back as he shadow-traveled into her studio after his first day of work.

"oomph!" Nico fell, and Rachel fell on top of him.

"Gods, Rachel! What was that for?" He said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Well, Nico, I was talking Apollo today after you left, well, actually, he said he couldn't stand your dark aura, so he left, but when he came back, he said that if you take what he gave you, you'll be able to maybe eat something! Isn't that wild?" **(Patty Simcox?)**

"Wild." He pulled off his beanie and jacket.

"So Nico, do you wanna try it?" Rachel looked at him like a puppy looks at his master.

"Uh, sure?" Nico would do anything to get away from her puppy face.

Her face lit up like a child on Christmas. "Yippee! This will be flippin amazing!"

Nico put down his stuff and reluctantly followed Rachel into the kitchen.

"So I take how much?" He asked as she took out the medicine. Now that he could take a closer look, it was silvery and seemed to change colors in the light.

"A tablespoon, ok?" She took out the medicine cup. "Here, take it."

Nico held the cup and Rachel poured the medicine in. She motioned for him to take it, so he brought it up to his face to drink it, but first he sniffed it. After sniffing it, he made a face and set it down on the counter.

"Nico, you have to take it." Rachel said, picking it back up and shoving it in his face. "You've taken medicine before, right?"

"Well, kinda." See, after the memory of his mother Hades gave him before the battle of Manhattan, they came pouring back to him. "You know how I was born in like, 1924?" Rachel nodded.

"In what I'm starting to remember, I only got sick once or twice, and it was a huge deal. I couldn't see anyone, and I had to stay in bed for the longest time, but that might have just been the ADHD. The only medicine they gave me was like, soup and tea. I don't think my mom believed in medicine, and Dad didn't think to dare bring Apollo." Nico frowned at the memory and picked up the medicine cup.

"When I was with Percy and Annabeth, since I was a senior, I hid from them and the school nurse when I was sick. I felt like crap, but I think I didn't believe in medicine either." He looked up at her, embarrassed.

Rachel laughed at that part, also taking into consideration Nico's face while he thought about it.

"Well, Nico, I can't really comment on that without laughing, but I think you really have to start believing in medicine right now. It's gotta go down."

Nico scowled. "This isn't funny."

"It is so funny." Rachel looked at him, then piped up with an idea. " Hey. When I was a kid, my various nannies would force it down my throat with something I liked better." Nico looked back at her.

"Like what?"

"Well," Rachel said, "You can have it with milk, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, strawberry banana juice, pineapple juice, grape juice, milk shakes, anything!"

Nico just looked at her.

"Wow. I can't believe you can name a number of exotic fruit juices I've never heard of."

"Yeah, I did. You wanna try my trick?" Rachel asked, face getting closer to his. He backed up and put a hand on her forehead, stopping her face from getting closer.

"Well, actually… Wait. Are you saying that you actually own all those juices?" Rachel nodded triumphantly.

"What do you think the wine cooler in my bathroom is for?" She laughed.

"No." Nico responded sarcastically.

"Yeah, it is that cool."

"Gods, Rachel, only you, only you…" Nico face-palmed.

**Nico Tries Juices. **

Orange Juice

Rachel: "Come on, Nico! It's good for you!"

Nico: "I hate it."

Apple Juice

Rachel: "Look, its bubbly!"

Nico: "It gives me a headache."

Strawberry Banana Juice

Rachel: "Isn't this so cool! You can't even get juice from a banana!"

Nico: "This is unnatural."

Pineapple

Rachel: "Nico, isn't this delish?"

Nico: "This tastes like piss in a can."

Grape Juice

Rachel: "Nico, why won't you touch the juice?"

Nico: "I've apparently been allergic to grapes since I was 3."

Rachel: "Says who?"

Nico: "My dead mother."

**Line**

"There is no hope." Rachel pouted when she and Nico got back to the kitchen.

"Your problem, not mine." Nico said, grabbing the medicine and a cup of water. He took the medicine, than after making a face, took a swig of the water. Rachel stared at him, dumbfounded.

"But you… And… juice… what?"

Nico smirked.

"I never said I wouldn't take it, I was just going to get some water first."


	7. Chapter 7

**ZOMG! So, school just started, and I'm taking an AP class, as a freshy, so I've had so much homework and since I have to get up at 5:45 every day, I end up falling asleep when I intend to update… I apologize for this, so I will probably be updating this on weekends only for a while. :)**

Nico woke up the next day and felt a tug on his stomach. He wasn't sure what it was, but he got up anyways. He stumbled along the hallway, grasping the walls trying to find the bathroom. He walked in and shut the door behind him.

After taking care of his 'business', he washed his hands and picked up his tooth brush. He proceeded to brush his teeth, but once again, his stomach felt kinda funny, so he stopped mid-spit. He put a hand on his stomach, and stood there for a minute until it stopped.

_Whoa,_ he thought, _this is weird._

He took a shower, and kept feeling the strange sensations in his stomach. He got out, and dried himself off. He got dressed, and walked into the kitchen. As he was picking up his bag, which was left on a chair, something yellow on the counter caught his eye.

"What the…?" He said, walking towards the glowing banana.

_A gift from your friend Apollo_ The note read.

"Uh… Rachel? Are you seeing this?" Nico called. He heard the toilet flush and the sink run for a minute until a bleary-eyed Rachel staggered into the kitchen

"What? I was taking a piss, then I was gonna go back to sleep, but nooo, you just had to make me come here." She grumbled. Nico was still frozen in place, finger outstretched towards the glowing-and now floating- banana.

"What the…?" Rachel said, cocking her head to match Nico's.

"It's from Apollo. You should know." Nico said.

"How would I know?" Rachel retorted. "He's on one of his mood swings."

"Wait, what?" He took a double take. "Mood swings?"

"Yeah, he's- Never mind." Rachel said. "I'm getting off track. I think you're supposed to eat it."

"I don't know," Nico said, backing up from the banana, looking at it warily. "I'm… not so sure I even like bananas."

"Don't be a wuss, Eat the magic banana, Nico, before I shove it up your nose." She said, grabbing the banana.

Nico took it from her and held it in his hand. He unpeeled it slightly. He looked at Rachel, wanting liberation from having to eat the banana.

His stomach growled, and Nico looked at it in surprise.

"Nico, you're hungry. Eat the banana." Rachel said, pushing the banana closer to Nico.

He grumbled and peeled the banana a little farther. Rachel looked at him, seeming to say, _eat the banana,_ but Nico raised an eyebrow and sniffed it, then wrinkled his nose.

"Nico, did you sniff the banana to try and get out of it?" She said, hands on her hips. He nodded sheepishly. "Nico, do I have to strap you down to eat the banana?"

He scowled. "No. I won't eat it." He said.

"Fine." Said Rachel with a smug smile, "I'll just have to force-feed you. As the oracle of Apollo, I do what he asks." Nico gulped.

In a frenzy, Nico found himself strapped to a kitchen chair and leaned against a wall.

"Rachel, let me out of the –oughmlf!" He choked as the banana was shoved into his mouth while he wasn't looking. As he hastily swallowed the banana, he smacked his mouth.

"Hmm. This… This is actually… good." Nico said, and Rachel let him out of the chair.

Nico scarfed down the banana and threw down the peel, and ran to the fridge and rummaged around for something else to eat.

To Nico's disgust, all there was in the fridge was nasty organic food, such as buckwheat and sprouts, seeing as Rachel was a very healthy person.

"Apollo! Anything else for me?" He asked the sky, and he opened his mouth as if to show what he meant.

In a flash, a fruit appeared, encased in a fancy golden box with many buckles.

Furiously working to open the box in discover the fruit, he unbuckled many buckles in anticipation. When he finally reached the center of the gift, he just stared in shock at the offending fruit.

"No." Nico said, and Rachel started to hold back her laugh. "He didn't."

"Oh, but he did!" Rachel roared, laughing so hard, she had to sit down.

"Oh, come on!" He shouted in defeat.

In front of him were a bunch of glowing grapes.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry, I've had writer's block… And yeah. I'll try harder next time, I promise! Oh yeah, just finished Son Of Neptune, and I have to say, it is AMAZING! Gotta say… lovin' Hazel, ya know?**

A week or two after the food epiphany, Nico came home from work with a bag of groceries, much to Rachel's surprise. She had been planning on making a big bowl of steamed kale, but upon seeing Nico, she put down the green vegetable.

"Nico, what's in the bag?" She asked, and he shut the door behind him and set the bag on the table. He took off his work beanie and shook his hair out before sitting down at the table and answering.

"Some stuff for pasta." He replied, and Rachel rushed over to see what he'd bought.

"Wait, but I told you this morning that we were having steamed kale tonight!" She whined, and began to put her food back in the fridge.

"And I told you that I was sick of your nasty hippie food."

In the bag was a package of thin spaghetti, tomato sauce, and a bunch of dried herbs, as well as a roll of bread.

"Nico, I thought you said you didn't have any memories?" Rachel shouted, looking in the bag.

Nico's face broke into a smile.

"Ever since I started eating more, I've been getting more memories back, and I think that now, I'm really starting to remember my mom." He looked away for a second, but then began speaking again. "I was a little kid, my mom, she used to bring Bianca and me into the kitchen with her, and I think I can sort of remember what we used to do." He smiled at Rachel, and started taking the stuff out of the bag. "Do you have a pot?" He asked, and she scrambled over to her cabinets to try and find some.

In no time, though, they were making delicious yum yums in the tiny kitchen. The steam was swirling around the pots and pans, and around Nico and Rachel as well.

"Nico, what is this stuff?" Rachel gushed, licking the wooden spoon she'd plucked from the sauce.

"Special DiAngelo sauce, or something like that." He laughed, looking over at her, and shook his head playfully. "Don't think of putting that spoon in there, Rachel. I don't want any Rachel germs!"

**LINE**

"Holy Zeus, this stuff is heavenly!" Rachel exclaimed, and shoved another forkful of spaghetti into her mouth from the giant bowl of food she was eating, and looked at Nico, who was eating politely from a considerably smaller plate.

"Yeah, it is, no thanks to you!" Nico smirked, and Rachel pouted.

The whole time in the kitchen had consisted of Nico slaving over the stove and Rachel pestering him endlessly.

"I'm not that annoying!" She chortled, and Nico snorted.

"Sure, let's just go with that." He rolled his eyes, and she leaped up from her chair.

"I know what'll make this night complete!" she announced, and ran into her bathroom.

When she returned, she was holding a bottle of wine.

"Where did that come from? I thought you said you had juice in your wine cooler!" Nico called as he saw her running down the hallway.

"I do only have juice in my wine cooler. I keep my wine under the sink in a cooler." She told him, as if it was blatantly obvious.

"Right."

Rachel walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine, before poking her head out the doorframe.

"Nico, do you want one?" She asked, seeming to forget that he was only 19.

"Sure." He replied, nonchalantly.

"Are you sure you want to be breaking laws, Mr. DiAngelo?" She chided playfully, and he rolled his eyes at her.

"Pour me a glass, Dare." He dictated, pointing a finger at her.

"Yes sir!" she saluted, and went back in and poured him a glass.

**Line**

"Rache, pour me another, please." Nico lay on the couch, legs off one end, head off the other. Rachel sat in a similar fashion on the arm chair across the room.

"Nico, this one's out. Go get one from in my bathroom." She ordered, and like a good little (drunk) soldier, Nico got up and went into her bathroom for the 2nd time that night. The first had been after they went through the second bottle, and Rachel had gotten too lazy to grab another.

Nico opened the cabinet under her sink and pulled out the cooler. He took of the lid, and took him a minute to figure out that there was no wine left. He quickly grabbed a bottle of vodka and jammed the lid back on, and shoving the cooler back under the sink.

"Hey, Rachie! I brought something delicious for you!" He announced, flailing his arms out as he walked in. He sat back on the couch and poured his glass before leaning over to pour Rachel's.

**Line **

Several drinks later, the two were very under the influence. When I say very, I mean to the point of almost senselessness.

"Mmm, Nico? Are you my friend?" Rachel asked, taking a swig of the alcohol and making a face.

"Yeah, why?" He asked, taking a large gulp.

"Friends should share secrets, right?"

Nico laughed.

"Ya. Hey Rachel, that was like a German." He giggled.

"Do you want me to tell you a secret?" She said, trying to whisper, but ended up just sounding stupid.

"Yeah." He said, and while trying to face her, ended up falling off the couch.

"There's a way around the Oracle."

Nico pressed himself up with his elbows.

"Oh really?" He laughed. "Do you want to hear a secret about me?"

Rachel nodded, and rolled out of the arm chair to the floor, then rolled to Nico.

"I've been this drunk before." He confessed, and Rachel scooted closer.

"When?" She asked, eyes full of curiosity.

"At Percy's 18th birthday. I ended up at Sally's." **(a/n Read my other story, Happy Friggin Birthday, Percy) **She laughed, and it made Nico laugh.

"Nico, I dare you to shadow travel to Sally's right now!" Shakily, he got up, and like Harry running through the barrier, He ran into the shadows, and presumably to Sally's.

After about 10 minutes, he came back with a Chocolate Chip cookie- Blue, of course.

"What's that?" Rachel asked, not bothering to drink from a glass, but putting her lips directly to the bottle.

"I thought you might need proof." He said, and threw the cookie at her and took the bottle at the same time. He slumped to the ground next to her, and leaned on one elbow.

"Ok, do you wanna hear another about… me?" She began, and he nodded. "I used to like Percy."

Nico shrugged. "Me too. But now I like girls, so it's ok." Rachel squealed.

"Oooh! Tell me!"

"Ok. Her name has an R and ends in –achel." Rachel scooted closer.

"Is it meee?" She drawled, and Nico nodded.

"What are you waiting for, then?" She asked, and leaned up to kiss him, but he put a hand over her mouth.

"Isn't one of us a pedo, then? I'm either 70 years older than you or you're older than me."

Rachel shrugged, and gave him a goofy smile. "Nico, it's the real world. Age doesn't matter."

Then, in a fashion similar to the kisses in those cheesy romantic comedies, they kissed, and that kiss moved on to making out, and that…. Well let's just say it didn't because you can't get that far around the oracle.

**Line**

"Percy, I was so scared, and I thought it was a monster, and o lord Zeus!" Sally yelled as soon as her son mumbled an irritated hello.

Percy sat in the dark with Annabeth rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Who is it?" Annabeth mumbled, and Percy put a hand over the phone.

"My mom." He whispered, then went back to the phone.

"Ma, do you (yawn) want me to come over?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind. Sorry to wake you up, I know it's like… 3, but I got really scared."

"Are you sure it wasn't just a regular burglar?" He whined, making Annabeth whack him on the head.

"Ow, that hurt!" He joked, rubbing his (invincible) arm.

"Yeah, I'm sure. The door didn't open, and it was just a lot of clanking." Percy groaned.

"Ok, I'll be right there."

He hung up the phone and got out of bed. He put on a shirt and was getting his shoes on when he saw Annabeth pick up her Yankees hat.

"Anna, what are you doing?" he asked, and through the dark of the room, he swore that he saw her roll her eyes.

"Are you stupid? You think I'll actually give you the chance to fight a monster, if there is one, and leave me here?" Percy nodded.

"After all these years, you think a guy would learn something, seriously! You're still such a seaweed brain."

Just as they were about to leave, they looked at each other, and came to a similar conclusion.

"Alex?" Percy said, and Annabeth ran back through the apartment and came back with Alex in hand.

"Daddy, do I get to fight a monster too?" He asked, looking up at his dad hopefully.

Percy crouched down and looked his son straight in the eye.

"I hope not."


	9. Chapter 9

Percy pulled the car up in front of Sally and Paul's apartment, and parked right in front of the building. He stuck 3 quarters in the parking meter, so he, Annabeth, and Alex hopped out and ran to the elevator. The 2 minutes in the elevator were stressful, with the testing of weapons that hadn't been used in a while.

"Hey Perce?" Annabeth asked, taking a practice swing with her dagger.

"Yeah?" He responded, swinging Riptide around.

"What do you think this looks like through the mist?" He stopped, mid-swing, and started laughing.

"I don't know, maybe some lunatics throwing guns or baseball bats?" Annabeth gave a smile, and a quick kiss just as the elevator ringed.

"Eww, Daddy, girls have cooties!" Alex squealed, and as the doors opened the little family trekked out. Percy bent down and handed the little kid a knife. Irresponsible, maybe. Necessary, yes.

"If you see any monsters," Percy put the knife in his hand correctly, "you just stab it like you're stabbing some broccoli, ok?"

"Ok, Daddy." Annabeth grabbed Alex's free hand and Percy rand the doorbell to Sally's apartment.

As soon as the doorbell rang, a frazzled-looking Sally opened the door, clutching a fork.

"Oh, gods, I'm so glad you're here!" She breathed, and hurriedly rushed them into the apartment.

"Ma, are there any monsters here?" Percy asked after a huge hug, eyes looking suspiciously at the fork in his mom's hand.

"I don't even know!" Annabeth took the opportunity to take the knife out of Alex's hand. "It's kind of like that time Nico showed up after your birthday party." Annabeth and Percy looked confused, and Sally gave a little smile. "You know, your 18th birthday, when you and Annabeth…" Annabeth caught on, and cleared her throat, letting Alex go, and he ran over to Paul.

"Sally?" Annabeth thought aloud, "Did you ever think it might have been Nico?"

Paul looked from the corner, where he was holding a sleepy Alex.

"I thought about it, actually. Why don't you do that rainbow thingy and ask?"

Annabeth and Percy gave each other a look.

"Well, Ma, I think Nico would send some undead warriors after me if I tried to do that." He and Annabeth continued to switch off, telling the story of why Nico wouldn't respond to an IM.

"Hmm." Sally gave the two adults a look that reminded them of the 'are you sneaking into the house at midnight?' look.

"I think you should try calling Rachel tomorrow, and invite them over for an 'I'm sorry' dinner or something."

All of the sudden, Alex squealed.

"Uncle Nico!" Alex was trying to get out of Paul's arms, fully awake, and wriggling all around.

"Where?" Percy asked and put Riptide back in his pocket.

Alex slid out of Paul's arms and ran over to the kitchen, where the cookies were, and picked up a keychain. It was obviously Nico's because it had a skull charm on it that he'd gotten from Alex a year ago.

"Well, that settles it." Annabeth said, picking Alex back up. "It was Nico. We'll call Rachel, though, tomorrow, and ask if she and Nico want to come over. Would you like to come?" She asked Sally and Paul, who looked at each other before Paul answered.

"This seems like something you have to work out on your own, so we'll say no to this one, but if you need anything, just do that thing with the coins and we'll be right over."

Percy gave his mom a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, and Paul a hug, and Annabeth and Alex did the same as they left the apartment at around 4:30. They got in the car, drove home, and decided to sleep for a little longer before going on with the rest of the day.

**Line**

A week passed before Annabeth had time to plan the whole barbeque and to think of what to say to Rachel. She hoped there wouldn't be any hard feelings, seeing as they'd dumped a moody teenager onto her.

Surprisingly, Nico hadn't felt the absence of his keys, preferring Shadow Travel anyways.

The Saturday began as any other. Rachel woke up, and next to her, was Nico.

"Morning." She whispered, and he opened one eye, but closed it.

"Mm." He grumbled, and turned away.

Rachel curled up closer to him, and he rolled off the bed.

"I'm gonna shower. Let me go." He wriggled, and she just held on tighter.

"No. You will stay." She gave a moan of pleasure, not sexual, but emotional.

"What if I told you I had to pee?" She let go, and he scurried off to the bathroom. Rachel smiled, and leaned back into her pillow.

"Someone looks happy." A voice broke through her silence, apart from the shower turning on in the bathroom. Rachel heart jumped, but she then realized it was only Annabeth.

"Oh, it's Annabeth. You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She put a hand to her heart in a dramatic pose, and Annabeth laughed.

"I'm glad I could add a spice of something to your morning. How's it been?" Annabeth grabbed a cup of coffee from her own side of the IM, clearing the space on the table of a couple of action figures and some graded papers.

Rachel propped herself up a little, and answered, "Great, actually. How've you guys been?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "It's been pretty hectic." She gave a half smile and gestured to the table. "I mean, look at this! I haven't been able to organize my own house. It just I'm running to work, and I have to take care of Alex, and Percy has all those papers to grade, and let me tell you, dyslexia doesn't make it any easier."

Rachel gave her a sympathetic smile. "I, I mean, we, can always take him for you guys. You know I adore him, and he might want to see Uncle Nico again." She put air quotes around Uncle Nico."

"So, have you seen Nico lately?" Rachel gulped.

"Not since last night, why?"

"Oh, well, can you tell him that he left his keys at Sally's?" Rachel stifled a laugh, but covered it up with a cough.

"When was he at Sally's?" She asked, with a serious look on her face. If there was one thing she got from Clarion's, it was the art of faking it.

"We think last Friday night, sometime between 1 and 3 in the morning." Rachel really laid down the acting skills, for if she wasn't covering up their little alcohol adventure, she'd be rolling on the ground.

"Well, I'll be sure to ask him later."

"Hey, Rachel?" Annabeth asked, looking past the frame of the IM, as if she could see through the walls, "Who's in the shower?"

"Nico, who else?" Rachel replied, as if there were no other options. Annabeth nodded slowly, eyebrows slowly knitting together.

"Does he, by any chance, have anything to do with your happiness?" Rachel almost choked on her own spit.

"Of course not!" She sputtered. "Other things make me happy… like sushi."

"Uh huh." Annabeth nodded, grey eyes calculating every square centimeter in the frame. "Does it have anything to do with the mussed bed sheets on my right, your left, of the bed?" Damn. Percy doesn't call her 'Wise Girl' for nothing.

"Maybe?" It was meant as a statement, but as Rachel said it, even she began questioning her own mindset.

"And do the mussed bed sheets have anything to do with Nico?" Rachel sighed in defeat.

"Maybe?" Annabeth laughed.

"What has he done, slipped ruffies in your drink?" Rachel blushed. "Listen, Percy and I are having a barbeque, and we're inviting some of our old camp friends. Do you two want to come?"

Rachel pursed her lips and looked to the bathroom, where the water shut off abruptly, and whistling started. "I'm not sure… I'll ask him."

"Ok, you better." Annabeth lifted her hand to swipe the message out, but Nico's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Rach? Can you bring me a towel?" Annabeth laughed at the blush rising on Rachel's cheeks, and swiped her hand through the IM.

"Sure. I'll be right there."


	10. Chapter 10

"Hey, Nico? Are we busy tonight?" Rachel asked, stirring her cereal. Her hair was in a messy bun on top of her head, and she was wearing a pair of flared jeans with an orange flannel shirt.

"I've got work today, but nothing after 4. Why?" He looked out the window, where tiny shoots of grass were shooting up in the window box. It was a warm March.

"Well, we've been invited to a barbecue with some people from camp. Do you want to go?" She took a bite of her cereal, Lucky Charms.

"Hmm." Nico weighed his options. He could avoid all the camp kids- well, adults, forever, or he could suck it up.

"I don't know, Rach," he said, looking purposely away from her and staring uncomfortably at the plant. It shriveled up a little (he did that to plants) and he panicked, seeing Rachel eyeing him warily. He looked away, and she made eye contact.

"Damn." He muttered, realizing that he couldn't avoid the question. "Why don't I make you something instead?" he pleaded, grabbing her hands. She rolled her eyes and pouted.

"But Nico," she batted her eyelashes at him, "I don't want your food today! You feed me all the time! I want someone else's food."

He sighed, and got up. "Ok. Where is this place?" He asked her, giving in to her commands, as she knew he would.

"Just meet me here after work. We'll take the subway to the party, then we can shadow travel back."

Nico nodded. "Ok. If I get bored, though, I'm leaving."

"Of course you are. See you later." She blew him a kiss and he just waved at her as he walked outside the apartment door and slammed it shut.

Rachel waited a minute, then cheered. "PAARRTYY!" She got up and started to dance in her kitchen. A shadow began to form in the corner, but she didn't notice.

"Umm… Rachel?" Nico looked from the corner he'd just traveled into at Rachel doing some freaky happy dance.

"Oh." She blushed, and sat down. "I'm just excited. I never go anywhere."

"Ok." Nico nodded. "I'm just gonna grab my wallet, then I'll go… again."

"Ha… Ha." Rachel tried to laugh, but it just sounded like an animal was stuck in her throat trying to escape.

"Yeah. Bye, Rach. See you later." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and shadow traveled back out of the apartment.

As soon as he left, Rachel looked around.

"Whoo." She whisper yelled, lifting her arms so that her fists were level to her face.

**Line**

"Hey, Rhonda." The bells on the door jangled as Nico made his way into work, and he pushed the hair off his face before Rhonda could even give him a second glance.

"Well, hello, Nico," Rhonda smiled, and she beckoned for him to come behind the counter with her. "How's it been?"

"Pretty crazy," he answered truthfully, grabbing an orange apron and pulling it over his head. With his black clothes underneath, it seemed as he were one of those Halloween enthusiasts, and he occasionally would wear a different color shirt, such as grey or some other dark shade, to dissuade enthusiastic freshmen or high school anime club members from bothering him as he worked.

Ever since his attempt to work the cash register, Rhonda had demoted him to just preparing the drinks, though the pay remained minimum wage and tips.

"Well, you are not gonna believe what just came in today!" Rhonda shouted, even though they were 5 feet apart.

"What?" Replied Nico, knowing perfectly well that it was the fancy espresso machine she'd been talking about for the past couple months.

"It's the EspressoPlux 3000! It finally came! Nico, this deserves a Frappuccino, on the house! Whooee mama!" She yelped, and bustled back into the freezer to get the special whiskey they'd put in the doublemint frappucinos when it was employees only. There were only two employees.

"Rhonda," Nico shouted back to her. A moment later, her head poked out of the freezer door, a layer of frost mysteriously covering her dreads. "I'll pass on the whiskey right now. I'm going to a get together later, and I have a feeling that I don't need any more alcohol today."

Rhonda nodded slowly and came out from the freezer, slamming the heavy door shut behind her.

"I get it, and I support your decision… but you realize that it just means more for me, right?" Nico nodded. "There's no going back now, no asking for more, because if you do, it'll be too late. I'll already have drunken it all. You hear me?" Nico laughed at the seriousness on her face.

"Yes, and I support your decision to become intoxicated at 9:30 AM." She sighed and slipped the glass bottle under the counter with all the other flavored syrups.

"I guess I can wait till after 4…" She moaned, and Nico gave her an awkward pat on the shoulder.

Just then, the first customer walked in, a young man with sandy blonde hair and a goatee, signaling the beginning of a new day.

**Line**

"Order UP!" Nico shouted, pushing the freshly made sweet&salty frappuccino onto the bar, where it was quickly snatched up and taken by a thirsty/hungry person.

"So… are you, like, barista?" A slightly nasally voice broke the machine silence of Nico's morning.

He turned around to see a girl in a blue wig (it was that obvious) drumming her hands on the counter.

"Yes." He went back to his current order, a children's chocovanilla hot cocoa. He poured milk into a smallish mug and put it in the microwave, pressing the 1 minute button as he forced the teeny door closed.

"But isn't that a girl?" She asked, straightening the wig on her head. Nico looked up at her, and she was also wearing a slightly slutty 'schoolgirl' outfit. What was that word again… cosgame? Cos, umm, party? No, it was, umm… Cosplay!

"No. A barista is a male or female." Nico busied himself with wiping off the machines.

"Oh. So, what grade are you in?" She asked, leaning over the edge to try and see Nico a little clearer, but her wig slid and she jerked back up, only to have it fall behind the bar and onto the floor. Her hair was an over-dyed black, with the roots a mousy brown.

"I'm a sophomore at NYU." He picked up the wig and handed it back to her. She blushed, and took it back with one hand while covering her mouth with the other.

"Oh." (insert giggle here) "I'm a sophomore too. I go to Steiner." She batted her eyes at him a little, and the microwave beeped, so she took the time of him turning his back (not that he was actually talking to her or even looking at her) to put the wig back on.

"Isn't that the high school a couple blocks over?" He asked, realizing that he recognized the name. Meanwhile, he was also grabbing the chocolate powder from under the counter and mixing it into the drink.

The girl nodded eagerly, and in her excitement, her large bag with the obnoxious cartoon character on it fell behind the bar and hit Nico. He was putting a hand down to grab the vanilla syrup when the bag hit him, and in his distraction, he grabbed the whiskey, not the vanilla, and hastily poured it in the drink before topping it off with a generous serving of whipped cream and shouting to the patrons of the coffee shop.

He handed it back to her, and she blushed. He, on the other hand, was not amused.

"Listen, kid, are you gonna buy anything? Cause if you're not, I'm gonna ask you to leave."

She looked up at him, trying for that innocent puppy look, but with the eyeliner, it looked more like evil raccoons scavenging for food.

"I was hoping you'd buy me one, you know…" She closed her eyes dramatically, and Nico guffawed at the blatant, naïve, and 'oh-so-high school' approach the girl was taking.

"Listen, kid. You seem nice, but I'm an adult, you're a kid, and I've got a girlfriend. It was nice to meet you, but get the heck out of the shop if you're not buying anything." The girl huffed, and shuffled out of the store in her too-big 'combat' boots.

"Nico, vanilla frappuccino!" Rhonda broke his reflection with an order. He mixed the ice and the milk, and was about to pour in the liquids from the bottle left on the counter behind the bar when he realized that it wasn't the vanilla, but the whiskey. He made that discovery, actually, when a kid puked all over the floor not too far from the bar, causing patrons and employees to cringe.

"Whoops."

**Line**

Once the people had been cleared out, the mess cleaned up (by yours truly), and the floor and surrounding surfaces disinfected, Nico sat down, mop in hand.

"Rhonda, I am so sorry, I didn't mean to. It was just, that one really annoying girl was distracting me, and I didn't realize it until it was too late."

Rhonda took a deep breath and crossed over to where Nico was.

"Now, I'm not mad, but I think we've got to be more careful next time."

She sat down next to him and placed a hand on his knee.

"Nico, I'll see you tomorrow. 9:00, ok?" He nodded, and took off the apron. He slung it on the bar and gave a haphazard wave as he stepped out of the store, grabbing his hoodie.

He went out into the sunlight and flipped his hood up. He ran into the shadows of a tree on the edge of campus and disappeared.


End file.
